It’s 2026! A brand new year has started and many people are already planning Spring and Summer vacations, especially cruises. These plans usually include an overnight hotel stay before embarkation day.
If you’re like me, then you’re very particular about the hotels you book, even if it’s for a short overnight stay. Any hotel simply won’t do.
One hotel in particular has become a pre-cruise fan favorite within the cruise community: the Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown.
This was my second time staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown and overall it was just as nice as the first time I stayed here a year and a half ago. There were definitely a few differences that stood out that should be mentioned.
The Room
The room I originally booked wasn’t ready upon check in so I was upgraded to a different room on the 16th floor, Elite Level.
This was a corner room which looked and felt like a junior suite. Upon entering you walk right into a cute, fully equipped kitchenette. The kitchenette leads into the living room which is separated from the bedroom area by a double sided desk.
A flat screen is mounted above the desk which can pivot almost 90° toward the living room or the bedroom area.
The living room was decorated with a large area rug, sofa, floor lamp, side table and an oversized upholstered ottoman that easily doubles as extra seating.
The room is equipped with plenty of standard electrical outlets and usb ports. On the desk are three fixed QR codes for the lobby directory, in-room dining and cloud printing.
The bed is super comfortable and I got a great night sleep. The windows have block out shades as well as sheer drapes so whether you like to fall asleep to the stars and city lights or in complete darkness, you can have it your way.
Another notable difference from my first stay was the room fragrance, which was light and pleasant with powdery undertones during my first stay. This time the fragrance hit me like a ton of bricks upon entering the room. It was more of a perfumed, linen type scent, heavy and almost overpowering.
Room scents should be subtle and gently linger, but the scent in this room was anything but subtle. It smelled good but it was just way too much for me. I would recommend they go back to the original scent used when I first stayed here.
One of the biggest differences between this room and the one I booked during my last stay was the bathroom. This one was split into a separate sink/closet and toilet/tub/shower room.
Although the floor tiles, toilet and fixtures were upgraded, you can tell the tub was original. I preferred the bathroom when I stayed here before over this one because the bathroom was completely renovated, including a walk-in shower with glass doors instead of a tub and shower curtain.
The View
The view from my room was spectacular. Beautiful glass high rises towered above the busy Miami streets as far as the eye could see. The night view was just as, if not more gorgeous than the day.
The view faced north from this room while my room before faced east. Facing east offers views with a mix of Biscayne Bay, Miami Metrorail and high rises while the north facing view is all high rises.
Distance to Miami Cruise Port
Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown does not offer shuttle service to/from the cruise port nor the airport. It’s just under three miles from the Miami Cruise Port (15 minutes by car) and nine miles from Miami International Airport (22 minutes by car) depending on traffic.
The fact that drive time from the hotel to Miami Cruise Port is just about as long as the drive to the airport which is twice the distance proves how terrible downtown Miami traffic can be. It’s especially bad during peak travel times.
For this cruise I drove to Miami and used a nearby Park & Ride service to get to the cruise port. Self parking decks are available at Miami Cruise Port terminals as well.
Food
A hotel that serves complimentary full breakfast is always a consideration for me when choosing a pre-cruise hotel, which is why Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown is high on my list.
I enjoyed most of the offerings at Hampton’s On The House. The options for certain offerings are limited, like fresh fruit and non-dairy milk – there is no non-dairy milk option.
Eggs were only served as pre-made cheese omelets but they were delicious. The breakfast potatoes were a hit as well as the breakfast sausage. I didn’t try the oatmeal either trip so I can’t rate it.
What disappointed me most was the waffle batter. The waffles were good on my first visit but this time they get two thumbs down. The batter was unusually runny and the waffle came out tough and chewy, more like rubber than a normal, soft, fluffy waffle.
I even made a third and fourth mini waffle to rule out equipment or operator error but the results were still the same.
Food is very subjective so take my review with a grain of salt and try the waffles for yourself. Although I didn’t care for the waffles this trip, the decline in quality isn’t a make or break for me. The problem may be as simple as a bad cook or a change in batter mix. Maybe if they get enough complaints they’ll make whatever change(s) needed to fix the problem.
I think food quality fluctuations can be expected in a transient worker, service and hospitality based city like Miami. I’m hoping that the waffles will quickly cycle back to the quality they were a year ago.
Cost
I paid a total of $350 for an overnight stay which included self parking ($39/day) and complimentary full breakfast. That’s a big jump from $208/night for the same amenities a year and a half ago – not to mention the waffles were way better.
For Miami, this hotel is definitely affordable for the location and amenities offered, despite the price increase and decline in breakfast quality.
You can see what my first stay at Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown was like back in June 2024 here.
Would I recommend staying here, yes. I keep this hotel high on my list of Miami pre-cruise hotel options, mainly for location and overall value. I look forward to staying here again on future cruises out of Miami.
Mo Goes | The Blog 